It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 26 years since 7th Heaven made its small screen debut on The WB. The beloved 90s show, which starred disgraced actor Stephen Collins, captivated the hearts of audiences for over a decade with heartwarming storylines about the complexities of raising a large family, told through the lens of the ever-relatable Camden family.
By the time the show wrapped for good in May 2007, viewers had become so well acquainted with the Camdens that the actors portraying them had attained bona fide celebrity status. It also stands to reason that after working in close quarters for over a decade, 7th Heaven’s cast members had also gotten to know each other quite well; enough to form lasting real-life friendships. So, did the 7th Heaven cast get along as swimmingly as their characters, or were they constantly bickering behind-the-scenes? Read on to find out.
8 Beverly Mitchell And Jessica Biel Became Real-Life Best Friends
Of the real-life friendships forged through 7th Heaven’s decade-long run, Beverly Mitchell and Jessica Biel’s is undoubtedly the strongest. As Beverly Mitchell would later reveal to TODAY in 2018, the duo managed to form a real-life bond akin to that shared by their characters; Lucy and Mary Camden.
“Pretty much every moment that Jessie and I were on set together was a favorite,” Mitchell told TODAY. “We always had so much fun. I mean, you put us on set, and we just laughed, and we always blew through our scenes, which kind of was terrible because then we were done.”
7 Beverly Mitchell And Jessica Biel Fought Quite Often While Filming 7th Heaven
Though Beverly Mitchell and Jessica Biel are now real-life besties, things didn’t exactly start off that way. As it turns out, the two bickered a fought constantly before they decided to become besties.
"We used to butt heads and [Jessica Biel] used to drive me fricking nuts, and we used to literally want to battle,” Mitchell revealed to US Weekly in 2019. “There were times where I just remember going home, because we would carpool home [from the 7th Heaven set], and we would just yell at each other all the time."
6 Beverly Mitchell, Jessica Biel, And Mackenzie Rosman Still Hang Out
Beverly Mitchell also managed to forge a lasting friendship with one other on-screen family member; Mackenzie Rosman. Mitchell, Rosman, and Biel continued to hang out long after the show wrapped, and grew to view each other much like family.
“I have been truly blessed with these two beautiful women who really are like sisters [to] me,” Mitchell said of Biel and Rosman on her blog, Growing up Hollywood, in February 2017. “They challenge me, they inspire me, and they make me a better person! Though we don’t see each other as often as we would like, it is always like we have never been apart, and I couldn’t be more thankful!!!”
5 Beverly Mitchell And Jessica Biel Both Had Crushes On Barry Watson
As it turns out, the 7th Heaven set was not only a breeding ground for lifelong Platonic relationships, but also harmless teenage crushes. Despite being only 15 and 14 when the show commenced filming, Beverly Mitchell and Jessica Biel found themselves crushing hard on their on-screen older brother, Barry Watson, who was then in his early 20s.
“Beverly and I both had crushes on Barry who played our older brother,” Biel revealed on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert. “But no one ever dated anybody. He was dating real-life women. We were like 14 years old, just like, ‘Oh my god.’ There was no chance for us. It was not happening.”
4 Catherine Hicks Fell In Love With All Her 7th Heaven Co-Stars
Annie Camden, portrayed as a devout wife and nurturing mother with almost infinite compassion for her family and friends, was one of the most alluring characters in 7th Heaven. As it turns out, the actress behind the iconic character, Catherine Hicks, loved the 7th Heaven cast almost as much as her character did.
“I had fallen in love with the cast [of 7th Heaven] and realized the fun of acting,” Hicks said of her castmates during an interview with Snakkle, adding, “It did feel like family. I don’t know if that’s good casting or if Brenda wrote for us, but I think they picked sensitive, nice people, and we all wanted and needed to love each other.”
3 Catherine Hicks And Stephen Collins Got Along Just As Well As Their Characters
Portraying an on-screen couple on 7th Heaven cultivated a strong bond between Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks. Though Collins’ fall from grace has soured their relationship, the duo was once so close that Hicks was convinced they’d have dated in another life.
“We were both educated in a certain time in America,” Hicks told Snakkle of her relationship with Collins, “and I felt it was fun to banter about English literature and, really, anything. We really enjoyed each other. In another life we would have dated, but we were each happily married.”
2 Kyle Searles Looked Up To Stephen Collins While Filming 7th Heaven
Though his image has since been tarnished by allegations of child molestation, Stephen Collins was once so close with his 7th Heaven co-stars that many, particularly Kyle Searles, considered him a father figure.
“Stephen is somebody I looked up to,” Searles revealed to TMZ after Collins’ alleged child molestation confession leaked online. “Stephen was by far the most likable, influential, genuine person that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. You know, he knew everybody on set, not just the actors, all by their first name. He was definitely a father figure to everybody on set. I’m sure everybody working with him could attest the same way.”
1 Beverly Mitchell Has Remained In Close Contact With All Her 7th Heaven Co-Stars
Apart from forging a real-life sisterhood with Jessica Biel and MacKenzie Rosman, Beverly Mitchell has also remained in close contact with all her 7th Heaven co-stars. The now 42-year-old actress even went as far as proclaiming herself 'the glue' of the 7th Heaven family in her 2018 interview with TODAY.
“I am the glue of 7th Heaven,” she said. "If you want to talk to anybody you gotta come through me, 'cause I will find them, and I will tell you where they are, and I will give you their contact info.”
